The midland journal., 1887-11-18
Friday, Nov. Is, 1887.
The Prohibition Vote.


lie light turned on by the last elect
ion. Eighteen votes are the sum to
1al OF the prohibition vote in this
County, while the States highest
showing is 4,5l3. This meagre vote
docs not indicate that prohibition is
a. low ebb in Cecil or in the state
of Maryland.
Only year ago, in hot contest
when the strength of the prohibition
l.arty was really tested, it showed a
clear majority over both the old
parties combined. That the prohi-
hition element as political party
stood alone in its natural strength,
with both the Democrat and Repub
lican party, as parties. arrayed
"sainst it, there is no question. Both
the political organizations refused
to have anything to do with it. or
countenance it in any way. The
candidates of both parties were yir
tually forbidden by their party dss,
cipline to acknowledge the exist
ence of prohibition as a political
factor, and as political parties threw
their entire strength against it. AS
party organizations they said to the
public, vote as you please, but we as
political organizations entirely ig-
more the presence of a prohibition
l,arty. Such Acknowledgement would
interfere with our organizations as
parties, and we believe greatly TO our
detriment. This was the lesson of
the action of political parties in the
ccuntv one year ago, and under like
circumstances would be the declara-
ton, but still more pronounced again
if tested.
The last election has emphasized
more plainly, possible. than ever
before, the utter hopelessness of the
fight for supremacy in this Sta te OF
the Republican party. Bruce's
spider, which tried seven times to
connect its web with a desired point
before it succeeded, is cited as an
encouragement of that perseverance
which achieves success. The Repub.
l!can party of this state have dis
counted the spider many times, and
alter twenty trials are as far from
success as eyer. No thinking Re,
publican politician, we believe, hopes
ever to overthrow the Democratic
party of the state while fighting on
the present lines, and were it not
Tor the national organization, would
abandon the effort, seize upon
other issues and form a new line OF
battle.
That prohibition can ever be.
come a national political party
first or second in power is an i'm
possibility. And unless it can de-
velop as national party, it cannot
anywhere become state party. AS
political factor the organizati on
holds the balance of power in ONE
of the states and in many counties
and districts In such localities it
uses the tactics of the whiskey ele-
ment, but with much less 6rmness
and decision. Political parties nev
er take either into fellowship, but
say to the prohibition element, you
may carry your cause to the people.
Take vote on it at the polls rs q
distinct issue, eliminated from all
other issues.
This was the course pursued in
Cecil County. This is the course
pursued in every state where prohi.
bition exists. In Kansas, the first
state, we believe, to add a prohibi-
tion article to its constitution,
the political parties, as parties
would not adopt prohibition as q
plank in their platforms, and
when the amendment was put to the
test of popular vote, stripped Of
party encouragement, it was carried
hy very small majority. At the
time the vote was taken the Repub-
hcans had majority of 10000 OIL
10000 in the State. Two or three
years sitter democratic governor
and a pronounced whiskey man Wa:
elected governor of the state, who
was succeeded by John A. Martir
who was not friend of prohibition
although editor of one of the mos
Influential republican papers in Kan
sas.
This is the history of prohibition
everywhere it has made its powe
telt. 1t has been a balance of powe
party, but has made no show of ris
ing to distinctive state or natiOna
POLITICAL party with a controlling in
fiuence. either north, south, east o.
west. 1t has achieved all it's vict
ories by direct appeal to the pop
ular vote, shorn of all party infu
ence. and eliminated from all othel
political questions. 1t has neve
elected a single representative